scoobypaul_temp

iTrader: (2)

You would do well to remember it.

You have shared enough of your opinions already

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

lets just get one thing straight, I don't agree with any of it from either side.
My point about military action is if there were no soldier's doing the bidding of nameless face less power hungry people, then all of this would go away because those pulling the strings will never put themselves in the line of fire.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Most modern terrorism is based in religion. The snowflake generation will learn to their cost.

JTaylor

Ideologically I'm a Christian Anarchist. Pragmatically I'm of the view that there will be hegemony until such time as my ideal comes to fruition. As such, I have to decide which hegemon is least bad. I can only do this by employing moral absolutes as opposed to moral relativism and in so doing I've concluded that Liberal Democracy is, whilst imperfect, much less imperfect than Islamism which is, to my mind at least, evil. It is with this reasoning that I can, with a clear conscience, justify my support for the west v. Islamism. The former is less bad.

JTaylor

It's based on Islam. Name an act of Christian terrorism that has its mandate rooted in the New Testament.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Sounds good but again opinion based on conditioning, in your case religious, which when all said and done are based on books written by men to control and influence other men.
men that had their agenda.

JTaylor

You're not influenced by man then, Ditch? I make no apology for concluding that the only moral authority is Jesus of Nazareth. What was His agenda? To be tortured to death for His revolutionary message that love is the law. What do you bring to the table that's new and unique and original?

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

lol, but to believe that you have to believe the book which to my mind is no different to believing Tolstoy is God and lord of the rings is the history of mankind.

Uncle Creepy

JTaylor

You've avoided answering my question. Interestingly, Tolstoy was a Christian anarchist and JRR Tolkein a devout Christian. Both demonstrated original thought, yet submitted to Christ. Somebody has to watch the watchmen you see, Ditch.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

sorry but I m on my phone, I shall consider my reply and give a better answer when I have a computer.

JTaylor

Good man.

Geezer

There are lots of different perspectives......

JGlanzaV

iTrader: (3)

How can a made up character be a moral authority on anything?

Paben

iTrader: (5)

You must mean other than the various terrorist acts of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda; Antibalaka in Central African Republic; the National Liberation Front of Tripura and the National Socialist Council of Negaland in India; the Maronite Christian militias in Lebanon; and the IRA and the Protestant Action Force in Northern Ireland. Not fogetting the Ku Klux Klan of course. There are penty of others.

Yes, but apart from them . . .

JTaylor

And the mandate in the New Testament?

JTaylor

Jesus of Nazareth is historical.

Paben

iTrader: (5)

A feeble riposte and Islam uses similar claims to excuse its breed of terrorism.

neil-h

Not drastically, given a fundamental part of empathy is understanding.

That's some pretty spectacular mental gymnastics, all of a sudden I'm a terrorist sympathiser now. I do love this place sometimes.

JGlanzaV

iTrader: (3)

proof that Jesus existed and carried out his miracles please?

JTaylor

There is no mandate for Christian terrorism; counter my claim if you can. There is for Islamist terrorism; ditto.

Paben

iTrader: (5)

Don't understand 'dito' and you're in denial if you believe Christians to be beyond reproach.

But as usual this has wandered far from the original point, which was the justification for prosecuting members of the army while excusing known individuals who deliberately murdered and maimed when carrying out acts of terrorism. Catholic Christians to be sure, but perhaps they don't count in Protestant world?

JTaylor

Virtually all scholars of history, both theist and atheist, Christian and non-Christian, conclude that Jesus of Nazareth walked the planet. Google and attempt a refutation.

That He carried out miracles is a matter of faith, however I believe that Jesus is God incarnate and therefore the creator of the universe. If He created the universe, suspending the laws He designed (miracles) are a walk in the park.

JGlanzaV

iTrader: (3)

So you have no proof?

Yet again JT turns a relitively sensible thread into one entirely about him....

JTaylor

I don't believe Christians are beyond reproach and haven't said as much. I do know however, that Christ is perfect and your inability to provide points to the contrary suggests that you must have drawn the same conclusion.

Sorry for my part in taking this off topic, I'm compelled to defend my Redeemer.

JTaylor

Of what? That Jesus was a historical figure? That there's something instead of nothing? That there's a moral absolute?

Paben

iTrader: (5)

If it’s that simple to convince you of something then your gullibility is clearly boundless and explains a lot about you.

JTaylor

It took the Lord 20 years to bring me back to Him.

Geezer

JT, I know we have been here a load of times before but, there's plenty of them. That's just a few, it's a much bigger list

But, we are getting off topic here

JTaylor

Your views on the historicity of Jesus of Nazareth are absolutely in a minority, Geezer. There are plenty of nutty historians. I think you're going against the consensus because it supports your anti-theistic worldview.

Incidentally, I'm not denying the mythology that surrounds the Christ. Myth is a means of conveying deep truths that would be otherwise impossible to articulate.